On Monday, Chargers defensive end Corey Liuget pursued Trent Richardson. The Colts running back had dropped a fourth-quarter pass, caught the bounce off the grass and continued running. Nothing to see here.

Then, in came Colts guard Hugh Thornton with a heavy hit that blindsided Liuget. It was more than a little late.

"I think about three or four minutes passed by," Liuget joked Wednesday. "The craziest thing is that is my teammate from college. ... He did me dirty."

Liuget is still sore from his thud on Jack Murphy Field, but he hopes the NFL doesn't sting Thornton over it. The Colt was flagged for unnecessary roughness because of the late hit, sure to have caught the attention of the league office earlier this week when sifting through the film for fines.

Fines typically aren't made known to the public until the Friday after games. The first offense for a late hit costs $7,875. The first offense for hitting a defenseless player costs $21,000.

To Thornton's credit, based on broadcast replay, the whistle blowing the play dead came as tardy as the contact.

While Liuget wouldn't be surprised if the NFL seeks a cash withdrawal from his former Illinois teammate, knowing how the process works, he would prefer it didn't.

"I don't want him to get fined," Liuget said. "That's still my (friend). ... We spoke after the game. It was fine. He told me it wasn't anything intentional, and we brushed it off. We're fine."